FALMOUTH (AP) – Investigators were trying to determine what prompted an 84-year-old motorist to drive in the wrong direction for more than two miles on Interstate 295, a mistake that cost him his life and fatally injured the driver of a vehicle that was going the right way.

Officials said rainy weather may have played a role in the accident that occurred around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday near the Lunt Road overpass.

Police said John Hochadel of Windham was killed instantly when his small sport-utility vehicle collided with a station wagon driven by William Murphy, 65, of South Portland, who died after being transported to a hospital.

Portland police spotted Hochadel’s SUV driving north in the southbound lanes near Tukey’s Bridge and gave chase. The vehicle collided head-on with Murphy’s southbound station wagon after police tried to force the errant SUV to stop.

Murphy and Hochadel were alone in their vehicles.

A southbound tractor-trailer and van were involved in a minor accident while trying to avoid the fatal crash.

A section of I-295 was closed for part of the night in both directions.

AP-ES-11-09-06 0926EST